BEING  CHINESE  PROVERBS  VITH 
MORE  FOLK-SAYlNGSf«"nHINDUSTAN 
AND  OTHER  ORIENTAL  COUNTRIES 


MMMHaMBMIMMaiHMMI 


*•  ARTHUR  GUITERMAN  '^ 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arcliive 

in  2008  witli  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


littp://www.arcliive.org/details/cliipsofjadebeingOOguit 


CHIPS  OF  JADE 


CHIPS  OF  JADE 

BEING  CHINESE  PROV- 
ERBS  WITH  MORE  FOLK- 
SAYINGS  FROM  HINDU- 
STAN AND  OTHER 
ORIENTAL    COUNTRIES 

Rhymed  in  English 


BY 

ARTHUR  GUITERMAN 


NEW  YORK 
E.  P.  BUTTON  &  COMPANY 

681  FIFTH  AVENUE 


Copyright  1920 
By  E.  P.  DUTTON  &  COMPANY 

AU  Rights  Resmtd 


First  printing  •  •  Saft.,  I9» 
Second  printing  -  -  J^h.  A*?^ 
Third  printing      ■     -    Sept.,  1927 


Printtd  in  the  Vnitet  StaUt  of  America 


SRLF 
URL 


oVji^lt'-i 


The  author  acknowledges  with  thanks  the  courtesy 
of  the  editors  of  Life,  Collier's  Weekly,  the  New  York 
Times,  and  the  World  Outlook,  in  granting  permission 
to  reprint  many  of  the  verses  contained  in  this  col- 
lection. Part  of  the  material  in  the  section  "Betel 
Nuts,"  appeared  in  the  author's  earlier  book  of  that 
title,  originally  pubhshed  in  1907,  and  now  out  of 
print. 


CONTENTS 


PAGB 

Chips  of  Jade,  or  What  They  Say  in 
China 3 

Betel   Nuts,   or   What   They    Say   in 
Hindustan 31 


vu 


CHIPS  OF  JADE 


or 


What  They  Say  in  China 


NAY,  READER  I 

gE  not  awed  by  my  learning,  though  it 
is  indeed  great;  for  I  do  not  gaze 
at  thee  severely  through  spectacles  rimmed 
with  horn  or  the  shell  of  the  sea-turtle 
as  one  who  would  urge  thee  to  a  heavy 
task;  rather  do  I  smile  upon  thee  be- 
nignly, beseeching  thee  to  sit  awhile  in 
pleasant  converse.  Moreover,  though  our 
discourse  be,  in  a  manner,  of  philosophy, 
it  shall  not  be  of  a  philosophy  that  smell- 
eth  overmuch  of  the  lamp,  but  of  the 
warm  and  human  philosophy,  which,  with 
much  wit  and  more  than  a  touch  of 
poetry,  is  wrapped  in  the  sayings  of  the 
people  of  Cathay.  Yea,  these  proverbs 
that  I  bring  thee  are  from  the  hearts  as 
well  as  the  lips  of  the  people  of  the  Eigh- 
teen Provinces  of  the  Flowery  Kingdom, 
and  are  spoken  in  the  streets  of  Canton 
and  Peking,  on  the  sampans  of  the  Yellow 
River,  among  the  hills  of  Yun-nan  and 
along  the  reaches  of  the  Great  Wall  that 
was  builded  of  old  by  the  Emperor  Shi 
1 


Nay^  Reader! 


Hwang-ti.  And  if  I  have  presumed  to  put 
these  proverbs  into  English  verse,  still  do 
I  think  that  thou  wilt  find  in  them  reason 
as  well  as  rhyme. 


CHIPS  OF  JADE 

PLIGHT  Sailors ;  Seven  want  to  steer. 
That  Junk  won't  come  to  Port,  I  fear. 

\yiTHlN   the   Home   where   fewer   Serv- 
ants dwell, 
With  greater  Speed  the   Daily  Work 
is  done: 
One  Man  will  bring  Two  Buckets  from 
the  Well; 
Two    Men,    between    them   both,    will 
carry  One. 

Xhe  Starveling  Cat  maintains  the  Firm 

Belief 
That  every  Well-fed  Cat  must  be  a  Thief. 

Make    friends    with    Merchants  —  and 

your  Wealth  will  grow; 
Make    friends    with    Nobles — and    your 

Wealth  will  go; 
Make  friends  with  Boors — and  learn  to 

use  your  Fists; 
Make  friends  with  Priests — and  sign  Sub- 
scription Lists. 
3 


Chips  of  Jade 


How  small  the  Heavens  are,  the  Frog 

can  tell; 
He's  seen  them! — from   the   Bottom   of 

the  Well. 

fo  every  man  Poor  Cousins  come, 

Or  Needy  Folks-in-Law. 
The  Emperor  himself  hath  some 

With  Sandals  made  of  Straw. 

Jt  somewhat  soothes  the  Bankrupt's  woe 
To  talk  of  Debts  that  Others  owe. 

Xwo  Friends  have   I — True   Friends,   I 
know; 
But  which  a  Deeper  Love  discloses? 
This,  brings  me  Coals  in  Winter's  Snow, 
While    That,    in    Summer,    brings    me 
Roses. 

f^  THOUSAND  Dipping  Oars  can  less  avail 
Than  Heaven's  Breath  that  fills  One 
Ragged  Sail. 

Though  the  Doctor  is  sure 
As  his  Charges  are  high. 

He  whom  Medicines  cure 
Was  not  Fated  to  Die. 


Chips  of  Jade 


Life  is  Sweet;  the  Beggar  Man 
Will  not  cross  a  Rotten  Span. 

No  Threats  of  Hell,  but  Present  Blows 
We'll  use  to  make  the  Rascal  quail; 

Though    Priests    may   curse,    the    Sinner 
knows  . 
He  never  saw  a  Ghost  in  Jail. 

If  Right,  though  Right  without  a  Flaw 
Is  All  you  have,  don't  go  to  Law. 

Xhe  Fruitful  Seasons  pass 
And  fill  our  Barns  anew. 

To  every  Blade  of  Grass 
God  gives  its  Drop  of  Dew. 

pEAR  not  lest  Men  say  Evil  Things  of 

you. 
But  fear  to  do  the  111  they  say  you  do. 

This  One  Makes  a  Net, 
That  One  stands  and  wishes; 

Would  you  like  to  bet 

Which  One  gets  the  Fishes? 


Chips  of  Jade 


Words  are  Wind  in  Empty  Space; 
Writing  leaves  a  Lasting  Trace. 

The    Past   as   clear    as    Polished   Glass 

appears, 
While  Dark  as  Lacquer  seem  the  Coming 

Years; 
Yet,  mirrored  in  the  Past,  the  Eye  may 

see 
The  Faces  of  the  Centuries-to-Be. 

poUR  Words  upon  the  Prison  Gate 
Are    written:      "These    Repent    Too 
Late." 

Defame  a  Man  of  Energy,  and  soon 
The   Mob   will   echo,    mingling  Truth 
and  Lie. 
Let  one  lone   Mangy   Mongrel  bay  the 
Moon, 
And  all  the  Village  Curs  will  swell  the 
Cry. 

Still  leagues  on  leagues  the  Great  Wall 

stretches  on, 
But  where  has  Shi  Hwang-ti,  who  built  it, 

gone? 


Chips  of  Jade  7 

XhROUGH  the  Years  of  Earthly  Dole 

Man's  gross  Clay  knows  not  his  Soul. 
When  the  Life  has  passed  away, 
Shall  the  Spirit  know  the  Clay? 

Who  owes  no  Debt  for  Crust  or  Crumb 
Can  sleep  within  a  Beaten  Drum. 

Despite  the  Rascal's  Righteous  Creed 

His  Acts  are  ever  ill. 
The  Snake  within  a  Hollow  Reed 

Contrives  to  Wriggle,  still. 

Search  thrice  thy  Heart  and  thrice  thy 

Soul  again; 
Thus  shalt  thou  know  the  Minds  of  Other 

Men. 

In  Talk  he's  a  Wonder, 
But  Small  are  his  Gains. 

How  loud  is  the  thunder! 
How  little  it  Rains! 

Xhe  Petty  Rascal's  Fetters  clank; 

The  Wholesale  Robber  starts  a  Bank. 


8  Chips  of  Jadt 

Since  Riches  lead  to  Vice, 

And  Poverty  to  Theft, 
Outside  of  Paradise 

Is  any  Virtue  left? 

TfHE  Needy  Student  reading  late  at  night, 
Bored  through  the   Wall  to   steal  his 
neighbor's  Light. 

You  have  Muscle,  he  has  Wealth: 
Spending  these  for  Wine  and  Bread, 

He  gains  Illness,  you  gain  Health; 
Which  one  blither  goes  to  bed? 

\yHO  seeks  the  Tiger's  Cubs,  must  dare 
The  Peril  of  the  Tiger's  Lair. 

Xeach   your   Son   a   Trade   before   he's 
twenty. 
Whatsoe'er  his  Powers. 
Plant  your   Fields  with   Rice  and  Beans 
a-plenty — 
Not  too  many  Flowers. 

Jf  Eighty  Years  be  yours  to   dwell   on 

Earth, 
Expect   not   Thirty   Thousand    Days    of 

Mirth. 


I 


Chips  of  Jade 


Xhree  are  the  Great  Calamities  of  Life: 
To  lose  a   Father  ere  one's  Youth  is 
done, 
In  Manhood's  Prime  to  mourn  a  Constant 
Wife, 
And  last,  in  Withered  Age,  to  lack  a 
Son. 

*'Who  knows  our  Secret  Deedl"  you  cry? 
God   knows,    Earth    knows,    and   You 
and  I. 

Shall  I,  grasping,  gather  Wealth  and 
breed  it — 
For  my  Children  jealously  conserve  it? 
Should  my  Sons  surpass  me,  they  won't 
need  it; 
Should  they  not,  why  then,  they  won't 
deserve  it. 

j\yHO  beats  his  Wife  at  Candle-light 
Is  like  to  sleep  alone  that  night. 

'_/^mbition's  Hand  would  sweep  the  Sky 

To  grasp  the  Comet's  Tail; 
His  Thirst  would  suck  the  Ocean  dry 

To  catch  the  Sounding  Whale. 


XO  Chips  of  Jade 

TusTiCE  guides  the  Wise  in  every  case; 
Law  alone  controls  the  Mean  and  Base. 

Xhe  Boy  may  plan  to  fly  his  Kite, 

The  Man  to  cut  his  Hay; 
But  Old  North  Wind  comes  up  at  night 

And  blows  their  Plans  away. 

J^ECORDED  Words  are  Fetters; 
When  Angry,  don't  write  Letters. 

\Yealth  won  with  Ruthless  Hands 

Is  Snow  in  Boiling  Steam; 
Unjustly-gotten  Lands 

Are  Sandbars  in  a  Stream. 

Xhe  Coward  holds  a  Shield  above  his 

Head, 
Because  a  Falling  Leaf  might  strike  him 

dead. 

^RIGHT  Stars  are  first  beheld. 
Sweet  Wells  are  most  desired, 

Straight  Trees  are  soonest  felled, 
Good  Workmen  soonest  hired. 


Chips  of  Jade  11 

\yHEN  planting  Thorns  in  Springtime, 
please  remember 

You  won't  be  picking  Peaches  in  Septem- 
ber. 

lyou  "Nearly  Did  it"?    That's  your  loss. 

I'll  pay  you  just  the  Fare 
Due  him  that  rowed  me  half  across 

The  Stream — and  left  me  there ! 

Who  know,  don't  talk;  and  even  so, 
The  Chatterers  who  talk,  don't  know. 

"When  Skies  will  Rain, 
When  Maids  will  Wed, 

The  Word  "Refrain!" 
Is  best  unsaid. 

Bid  the  Sullen  Servant  go  I 

Let  him  stay,  and  house  a  Foe. 

Xhe   more    I    Strive    the   more   I    Fail 
again — 
'Tis  Fate's  decree. 
The  more  I  fail,  the  more  I'll  Strive — - 
and  then 
What's  Fate  to  me! 


IS  Chips  of  Jade 

JVIan's    High    Resolve    has    made    the 

World  his  own, 
But   Woman's    Smile    has    overturned    a 

Throne. 

Xhe  Heron  sought  to  sup  his  fill 

Upon  the  Clam,  who  caught  his  bill 
And  held  him  fast,  till,  nothing  loath, 
The  Hungry  Fisher  bagged  them  Both. 

^S  Ripening  Cornfields  dread  a  Blight- 
ing Breeze, 

Old  Age  fears  Penury  with  trembling 
knees. 

W^E  scheme,  we  toil,  we  pray 

In  wretched  plight. 
For  what? — Three  Meals  a  Day, 
One  Sleep  at  Night  1 
j« 
]VJercies  Two  are  Rain  and  Dew; 
Ice  and  Frost  are  Mercies,  too. 

Untrained  is  he  that  hath  not  seen 
The  World's  Rough  Face  in  Sun  and 
Shower, 
That  hath  not  shared  the  Fat  and  Lean, 


I 


Chips  of  Jade  IS 

That  hath  not  tasted  Sweet  and  Sour, 
And  known  the  Foul,  but  loved  the  Clean, 
And  felt  the  Thorn,   yet  plucked  the 
Flower. 

When  Monkeys  fight  they  scatter  Dirt; 
When  Tigers  battle,  One  gets  hurt. 

pAME  is  the  Dew  on  the  Jasmine  Stalk, 
Fame  is  the  Scream  of  a  passing  Hawk, 
Fame  is  the  Foam  of  the  Vessel's  Keel, 
Fame  is  a  dying  Thunder  Peal, 
Fame  is  the  Scent  on  the  Mountain  Moss 
Left  when  the  Musk  Deer  bounds  across. 

Each   Sect  has   still  its   Truth,   though 

many  shame  it, 
And  every  Truth  a  Prophet  to  proclaim  it. 

Should  half  the  Plaintiff  says  be  true, 
Beheading's  much  too  good  for  you. 

When  you,  in  turn,  have  had  your  say, 
The  Case  looks  all  the  other  way! 

A  HERO,  fallen,  strives  to  stand 
Himself,  and  asks  no  Helping  Hand. 


i^  Chips  of  Jade 

I'll  work  at  your  Price 

And  I'll  drink  your  Cold  Tea 

And  I'll  eat  your  Cold  Rice— 
But  no  Cold  Words  to  me  I 

Qrave  Looks  may  hide  a  Vacant  Mind; 
The    Brightest    Eyes    are    sometimes 
Blind. 

Xhe  Arrow's  on  the  String, 
The  supple  Bow  is  bent; 

My  Hand  must  do  that  Thing 
For  which  my  Life  was  lent. 

When,  wrapped  in  Flame,  your  Home's 

a  blackened  Shell, 
'Tis  growing  rather  late  to  Dig  a  Well. 

Your  Roof  need  not  be  high, 

If  sound  against  the  Rain; 
Your  Cloak  may  keep  you  dry 

Though  coarse  its  Cloth  and  plain; 
Your  Food  need  not  be  rare 

If  strengthening  and  clean. 
Nor  need  your  Wife  be  fair 

If  good  and  sweet  of  mien. 


Chips  of  Jade  15 

Man's  Heart  is  like  a  Steed  of  Noble 

Strain — 
Right  easy  Letting  Go,  but  hard  to  Rein. 

Your  Acres  teem  with  Rice; — but  still 

A  Pint  a  Day  is  all  you  eat. 
Your  House  is  wide;  the  Space  you  fill 

Therein  is  hardly  Seven  Feet. 

PJer  Fragrance  proved  by  every  Breeze 

that  blows, 
What  need  is  there  of  Words  to  praise 

the  Rose? 

No  Name,  however  great,  atones 

For  Worthless  Work.     The  Sages  tell 

That  though  the  War  God  f)eddles  Bones, 
Dry  Bones  are  all  he  has  to  sell. 

Yes,  take  my  Umbrella.    Don't  thank  me, 

but  try 
To  send  it  back  promptly  both  Spotless 

and  Dry. 

Scholars  talk  of  Clever  Books, 
Gardeners,  of  Pruning-Hooks ; 
Traders  talk  of  Means  to  Cheat, 
Laborers,  of  Things  to  Eat. 


16  Chips  of  Jade 

PJe  faints;  your  Fowl,  well-cooked,  would 

soon  restore  him; 
Ask  not  your  Guest  if  you  may  kill  it  for 

him. 

Xhe  Nightingales  and  Flowers  fear  the 
passing  of  the  Spring, 
The  Chill  of  Autumn  Showers  and  the 
Tooth  of  Winter  Cold. 
I    hear    a    tiny    Linnet    in    the    Almond 
Branches  sing, 
"Oh,  every  Youthful  Minute  is  a  Pre- 
cious Inch  of  Gold  I" 

piSH  see  the  Bait  alone;  and  is  it  stranger 
That  Men  should  see  the  Profit,  not  the 
Danger? 

Up,  Farmer!    Toil 
While  Dawn  is  hazyl 

The  Good  Brown  Soil 
Is  never  lazy. 

Jn  Babbling,  Gorging  Food,  or  Quench- 

ing  Drouth, 
All  Mischief  comes  through  Opening  the 

Mouth. 


I 


Chips  of  Jade  17 

Xhe  Good  Man's  Course  is  straight  and 
true 

As  that  of  him  whose  Feet 
A  Frightened  Little  Pig  pursue 

Along  a  Narrow  Street. 

One  Kind  Word  keeps  the  Heart  aglow 
Through  Three  Long  Months  of  Ice 
and  Snow. 

Who  trusts  Too  Many  often  ends 

By  losing  trust  in  All. 
Lend  not  your  Pillars  to  your  Friends 

Or  else  your  Roof  may  fall. 

Qh,  when  the  Whale  is  floundering  in  the 

Shoal, 
How  all  the  Minnows  laugh  to  see  him 

roll! 

The  Ox  plows  the  Plain, 
The  Fowl  eats  the  Grain ; 
And  some  bear  the  Pain, 
And  some  keep  the  Gain. 

Your  Arm  is  broken?     Do  not  grieve 
Aloud,  but  Hide  it  in  your  Sleeve. 


18  Chips  of  Jade 

You'll  find  True  Men  among  the  Low 

And  Birds  among  the  Bats, 
When  you  can  draw  White  Calico 

From  out  the  Blueing  Vats. 

Jf  Swearing  Oaths  could  aught  avail, 
Would  any  Thieves  be  found  in  Jail? 

Xhe  Poor  Man  should  not  grumble. 
The  Rich  Man  must  not  boast; 

The  Highest  Up  may  tumble. 
The  Lowest  rule  the  roast. 

Xhe  Wild  Bird  has  no  Food,  no  Wealth 

have  I, 
But  all  the  Lands  of  Earth  before  us  lie. 

XRUE  Friend  of  mine,  what  Heaven  flung 
That  Gem,  your  Soul,  to  Earthly  Dust ! 

Wine  cannot  loose  your  faithful  Tongue, 
Wealth  cannot  make  your  Heart  unjust. 

"Who  fails,  is  Poor  a  While.    Who  takes 

a  Wife 
Of  Evil  Governance,  is  Poor  for  Life. 


Chips  of  Jade  19 

\Yhen  Drinking  Water,  bless  the  Parent 
Rill; 
When    Eating,    thank    the    Plow    that 
broke  the  Clod; 
When     Donning    Garments,     praise     the 
Weaver's  Skill; 
With  every  Breath  He  gives,  remember 
God. 

J'VE  wronged  no  man,  I  work  and  pay  my 

score, 
I  fear  no  Midnight  Knock  upon  my  Door. 

Xhe  Sun  is  longer  overhead, 

The  Light  is  later  leaving; 
There's  Time  to  add  Another  Thread 

To  every  Daily  Weaving. 

What  Force  may  save  that  Nation,  hell- 
ward  bent. 

Where  Wealth  is  Virtue,  Drink  is  Merri- 
ment! 

Little  Tasks  need  Little  Force; 

Any  Fool  can  make  a  Fan. 
Leagues  of  Travel  prove  the  Horse, 

Years  of  Service  prove  the  Man. 


so  Chips  of  Jade 

Xhe  Rich  may  read  and  nibble  Figs; 
The  Poor  must  keep  on  Raising  Pigs. 

Beneath  the  Deep  Green  Sod  He  Snow- 
white  Bones. 

Those  Ancient  Kings  who  sat  their  jeweled 
Thrones 

See  not  our  Moon  nor  Midnight's  Diadem, 

And  yet  the  Moon  we  see  once  shone  on 
them. 

As  Racing  Horses  pass  the  Winning-mark, 

The  Generations  rush  from  Light  to  Dark; 

And  Yellow  Gold  and  Pearls  as  fair  as 
Truth 

Will  not  buy  back  the  Raven  Locks  of 
Youth. 

'XwiXT  Man  and  Wife,  no  Spite 
May  live  beyond  a  Night. 

Xhe  Monkey  jeers;  such  odd  Mistakes 

In  Weaving  Sticks,  the  Pigeon  makes  1 
But  while  the  Monkey  has  his  Jest, 
The  Pigeon  learns  to  Build  a  Nest. 

\^H0  would  not  have  his  Footsteps  shoT^ 
Must  walk  in  neither  Mud  nor  Snow> 


Chips  of  Jade  21 

If  none  would  Hear, 

A  Lie  would  lack  a  Handle; 

It  needs  both  Tongue  and  Ear 
To  make  a  Scandal. 

A  WORD  has  stolen  in  and  bred  a  Doubt; 
Ten  Thousand  Oxen  cannot  drag  it  out. 

As  Idle  as  a  Goat  he  is, 

To  work  he's  much  too  nice. 

A  Frame  to  show  a  Coat  he  is, 
A  Bag  for  holding  Rice. 

Your    Fields,    unplowed,    will    come    to 

naught; 
What  good  will  come  of  Sons,  untaught? 

Howe'er  in  Patterns  manifold 
We  twist  Life's  varied  Threads, 

Each  deed  the  watchful  Gods  behold. 
Three  Feet  above  our  Heads. 

Y^no  lacks  a  Smiling  Face,  had  better 

stop 
And  think  a  bit  before  he  starts  a  Shop. 


£2  Chips  of  Jade 

Xoo  oft  to  Settled  Married  Men 
The  Rover's  life  seems  pleasant; 

They  weary  of  the  Brooding  Hen 
And  seek  the  Wildwood  Pheasant. 

Before  he  thatched  his  Roof,  the  Tor- 
rents fell, 

And  Drought  was  King  before  he  digged 
his  Well. 

WT'ho  looks  on  Food  with  Greed, 
On  Work  with  Loathing, 

Belike  will  shortly  need 
Both  Food  and  Clothing. 

Xhe  Five  Chief  Grains  in  Use  or  Trade 
Are  better  Wares  than  Pearls  or  Jade. 

No  Coin  to  spend,  no  Friends  to  love, 

Nor  any  place  to  go, 
I  find  no  Stair  to  Heaven  above, 

No  Door  in  Earth  below! 

J^o  matter  what  the  Issue,  do  your  Best, 
And  let  the  Gods  and  Fairies  do  the 
rest. 


Chips  of  Jade  ^S 

Xhough  Man  and  Wife  together  dwell 

As  Birds  of  one  embowered  Dell, 
When  Death  shall  fling  the  Fatal  Stone 
They  needs  must  take  their  flight,  alone. 

Patience!     The  Grass  will  be  Milk, 
The  Mulberry  Leaf  will  be  Silk. 

Xhe  Monastery  near 

The  Nunnery  is  set; 
There's  nothing  wrong  or  queer 

In  that,  of  course — and  yet — 

\Yhen  through  Foreign  Lands  you  stray, 
Smile,  and  give  the  first  "Good  Day!" 

He  cannot  be  a  Laggard  or  a  Dunce 
Who    rows    the    Boat    and    beats    the 
Drum  at  once. 

What  Ear  swears  he  has  heard, 
Eye  proves  is  quite  absurd. 

Xhe  New  will  last  perhaps  a  score 
Of  Days;  the  Old,  a  Year  or  more. 


1^4  Chips  of  Jade"- 

Because  a  Brick  at  me  you  threw, 
Shall  I  fling  back  a  Pearl  at  you? 

'j\  CANDLE  in  the  Wind  is  heedless  Man — 
A  Fish  that  sports  within  the  Frying- 
pan. 

The  Robe  of  Justice  will  not  be  defiled 
Where    Laws    are    Strict,    but    Magis- 
trates are  Mild. 

Xo  do  Good  Deeds  where  none  may  mark 
Is  much  like  Bowing  in  the  Dark. 

The  Coins  you  carry  to  the  Gaming  Room 
Are    Sentenced    Prisoners,    hurried    to 
their  Doom. 

]\/Jankind  live  tnrough  Buying,  Vending, 
Making,   Marring — and  Pretending. 

J-Jer  Beauty  owes  Three-tenths  or  less 
To  Nature,  Seven-tenths  to  Dress. 
St 

'Abuse  me,  curse  me,  beat  me  as  you  may> 
I'll  do  your  work,  but  payl 


I 


Chips  of  Jade  25 

\  HAVE  to  steal  or  lack  a  Fowl  to  carve. 
The  Law?    I  know  the  Law,  but  shall 
I  starve? 

We  that  Smiles  may  reach  the  End 
Of  Earth,  yet  never  lack  a  Friend. 

AGAINST  all  Men  uphold  your  Brothers; 
Defend  your  Land  against  All  Others. 

*'My  Father  was  a  Scholar  1"  brags  the 

Fool. 
"My  Mother  was  a  Mare!"  proclaims  the 

Mule. 

The  Street  will  be  as  clean  as  Heaven*s 

Floor 
When  Each  Man  sweeps  before  his  Own 

Front  Door. 

Xell  not  All  you  Know,   and  tell 
Only  What  you  Know  right  welL 

Ride  within  or  carry  the  Sedan, 

What's  the  difference? — Are  you  not  a 
Man? 


26  Chips  of  Jade 

\   Clever   Man   compelled  to   serve   a 

Fool 
Is  like  a  Pearl  within  a  Muddy  Pool. 

Xwo  of  a  Creed  are  Brother  and  Brother. 
Two  of  a  Trade  are  Thorns  to  each 
other. 

Your  Unused  Learning  is  an  Unlit 
Taper; 

A  Book,  tight  shut,  is  but  a  Block  of  Pa- 
per. 


I 


BETEL  NUTS 

or 

What  They  Say  in  Hindustan 


THUS,  OH  READER 

"TJ  O  I  deliver  unto  thee  a  cargo  of  Betel 
Nuts, — a  freight  of  the  pithy  say- 
ings of  the  people  of  the  broad  land  of 
Hindustan,  proverbs  that  spice  the  speech, 
even  as  the  pungent  seeds  of  the  betel 
palm,  which  they  do  call  "Betel  Nuts," 
flavor  and  spice  the  breath  of  the  folk  in 
the  bazaars.  Herein  shalt  thou  find,  set 
forth  In  English  verse,  colorful  proverbs 
of  Bengal,  the  Punjab,  Rajputana,  and 
even  of  the  mountains  of  Kashmir  and 
Afghanistan,  with  some  few  others 
brought  to  the  markets  of  Ind  by  seafarers 
from  the  Isles  of  the  Malays  and  by 
merchants  and  traders  from  Persia  wid 
Arabia.    Salaam  aleikuml 


BETEL  NUTS 

(^OD  ripes  the  Mangoes, 

The  Farmer  shakes  the  Tree; 
God  cures  the  Patient, 
The  Doctor  takes  the  Fee. 

You  have  no  Debts?     Indorse  a  Note. 
You  have  no  Cares?    Then  buy  a  Goat. 

Why    risk    with    Men    your    hard-won 
Gold? 
Buy    Grain    and    sow; — your    Brother 
Dust 

Will  pay  you  back  a  Hundredfold: 

The  Earth  commits  no  Breach  of  Trust. 

The  Tax?    No  wonder  Men  abhor  it! 
You  raise  a  Crop,  they  fine  you  for  it  1 

Now  hear  the  Word  the  Brahman  said: 
"The  Lion's  Mane,  the  Miser's  Hoard, 
The  Serpent's  Fang,  the  Brave  Man's 
Sword 
Ye  may  obtain — when  they  are  dead." 
31 


33  Betel  Nuts 

Xhree  were  invited, — here  come  Nine  1 
Water  the  Porridge  1    All  shall  dine. 

J-Je  laughed  Derision  when  his  Foes 
Against  him  cast,  each  Man,  a  Stone; 

His  Friend  in  Anger  flung  a  Rose — 
And  all  the  City  heard  him  groan. 

Xhey  toil  not,  but  decry  their  Bread. 
They  fight  not,  they  defame  the  Dead. 

3e  this  engraved: 

"The  Man  who  misses  his  Chance, 
The  Monlcey  who  misses  his  Branch, 
Cannot  be  saved." 

The  Goat  gave  up  her  Life;  'twas  not 

enough : 
The   Eater   grumbles   that   the    Meat    is 

tough ! 

Qn  deep-rutted  Roads  that  are  Centuries 
old 
The  Cart  and  the  Plodder  will  travel, 
unled. 
A  Poet,  a  Lion,  a  Man  wise  and  bold 
Will  beat  out  new  Pathways  for  Plod- 
ders to  tread. 


Betel  Nuts  3-3 

In  Summer,  a  Fan  and  a  Tale  not  too 

long; 
In  Winter,  a  Fire,  a  Roof  and  a  Song. 

Xhe  Earth  is  glad  of  Clouds  above  the 
Grain; 
The  Home  is  glad  of  Babes  that  laugh 
and  run. 
When  God  is  pleased,  He  sends  reviving 
Rain; 
When  God  is  greatly  pleased,  He  sends 
a  Son. 

**I'm  drowning!"  shrieks  the  Camel.   And 
the  Sheep 
Debate   the   Question,    "Is   the   Water 
deep?" 

J-Je  gave  who  had  Naught  to  give, 

And  Ruin  came. 
She  went  to  milk  with  a  Sieve — 

Is  Fate  to  blame? 

A  Day,   or   a   Minute?     A  Year  or   a 

Moon? 
Now,  which  does  he  mean  when  he  says, 

"Pretty  soon!" 


SJt  Betel  Nuts 

Our  Earth  and  Sky  are  weighty  Querns; 
Our    Deeds    and    Strivings    heap    the 
Grains ; 
The  Unseen  Miller  turns  and  turns; 
Between     the     Millstones  —  what     re- 
mains? 

Xhe  Good  are  Two,  I  dare  be  sworn, 
And  One  is  Dead,  and  one  Unborn. 

\Ye  sin,  yet  think  to  escape  the  Ills 
That  Life  hath  taught  us  must  ensue. 

In  every  Ear  the  Devil  thrills, 

"In    all   the   World   there's   none   like 
you  i" 

Who  cutteth  Onions  sheddeth  Tears. 
The  Mischief-maker  lost  his  Ears. 

**Hls  Bridle  is  Jeweled,  with  Gold  he  is 

shod ; 
I   loosen  my  Steed  and  commit   him   to 

God." 
"The  World,"   said  the   Prophet,   "hath 

Ways  that  are  odd; 
So  tie  thy  good  Steed  and  commit  him  to 

God." 


Betel  NuU  35 

go    Clever    a    Son    of    a    Clever    Man's 

Daughter 
Am   I,   that   an   Abler   Man   fetches   my 

Water. 

"Why  should  the  Happy  Man  espouse 

That  lived  so  free  before? 
The  Benedict  hath  but  One  House, 

The  Bachelor,  a  Score. 

PJe  shot  at  a  Sparrow 

And  spoiled  a  good  Arrow. 

Xhough  Losses  come  and  Fate  is  rough, 
On  any  Road  my  Fortune  lies. 

God's  Universe  is  wide  enough, 

And  I  have  Hands  and  Feet  and  Eyes. 

Though  flung  Into  Ocean,  I'll  rise  from 

beneath, 
A   Fish  on   each   Finger,   a   Pearl   in   my 

Teeth. 

When  golden  Sunbeams  rill  not, 

The  Jewel  shines  but  ill. 
When  Fortune  smiles,  who  will  not? 
When  Fortune  won't,  who  will? 


36  Betel  Nuts 

Knowledge?     Know  each  other. 
Goodness?    Love  thy  Brother. 


Xhou  lackest,  O  Shirker, 

Though  long  thou  hast  prayed? 

Know,  God's  a  Good  Worker, 
But  loves  to  have  Aid. 


Xhe  Merchant  prays  for  nothing  worse 
Than  Idleness  that  bears  a  Purse. 

Buy  not,  like  a  hapless  Dunce, 
Gauds  unworth  the  Keeping. 

"Dear,"  O  Sahib,  weeps  but  once; 
"Cheao,"  is  always  weeping. 

QUARD  thy  Secret  close  with  all  thy  Wit, 
That  e'en  the  Angels  have  no  News  of 
it. 

Xhat  Home  called  "Home"  is  false,  I 
know; 

My  Home,  in  truth,  is  soft  and  deep. 
And  yet,  as  Homeward  now  I  go 

To  take  my  Rest,  the  People  weep! 


Betel  Nuts  37 

Liars  died  in  Days  of  Old; 
Now,  they  never  catch  a  Coldl 


Old  Hassan  turns  from  Craft  and  Vice 

To  con  the  Koran's  Page. 
Ihe  Cat  has  killed  a  Thousand  Mice, 

And  makes  a  Pilgrimage. 

Xhe  torrid  Sun  melts  mountain  Snows. 
When  Anger  comes,  then  Wisdom  goes. 


pREE  Comradeship  was  ours  in  Work  and 
Play; 
Our   Friendship   strengthened,   till,   we 
knew  not  how. 
It   grew   to    Love; — yet    Love   may    die 
away. 
We    shared    one    Sorrow, — what    can 
part  us  now! 


I    LIVE    between    Perils,    abandoned    by 

Friends, 
Like  an  Ant  on  a  Fire-stick  lit  at  Both 

Ends! 


S8  Betel  Nuts 

Let  the  Rock  fall  on  the  Crock, 

Or  the  Crock  upon  the  Rock, 

The  Shock  will  break  the  Crock. 

Ride  the  Horse  in  Fortune's  Bloom: 
Should  Fortune  fail  thee,  be  its  Groom. 

St 

Let  Daughters  marry  when  they  can; 

Let  Sons  be  wedded  when  they  would. 
A  Woman's  Husband  is  a  Man; 

His  Husband  is  his  Livelihood. 

I  HAD  no  Teeth,  He  sent  me  Milk.  In- 
stead, 

Now  I  have  Teeth,  will  He  not  send  me 
Bread? 

And  what  is  GI017?    What  Is  Shame? 

And  what  is  Virtue?    What  is  Sin? 
The  Man  but  dies  and  leaves  a  Name, — 

The  Tiger  dies  and  leaves  a  Skin. 


One  Good  Man  here  is  better  far 
Than  up  above  Ten  Angels  are. 


Betel  Nuts  S9 

Xhis  under  the  Rose, 

But  it's  true  to  the  Letter> 

The  Man  thinks  he  knows, 
But  the  Woman  knows  better. 

Before  thou  hast  forded  the  River,  O 

Brother, 
Revile  not  unduly  the  Crocodile's  Mother. 

]By    diverse    Creeds    we    worship,    thou 
and  I; 
The   Ear  of  One   Alone   receives   our 
Prayer. 
Each  turns  his  Face  in  Longing  toward 
the  Sky, 
To  see  his  Secret  Soul  reflected  there. 

Xhe  King  shall  beg,  the  Beggar  mount 

the  Throne; 
Earth  laughs  at  him  who  calls  a  Place  his 

own. 

Xhe  Chiefs  that  Peasants  choose  by  Lot 

They  will  not  be  afraid  of. 
The  Idol-carver  worships  not; 

He  knows  what  Gods  are  made  of. 


Mi  Betel  Nuts 

Xhe  Goat  made  Friends  of  the  Grass  and 

Wheat; 
Now  what,  oh,  what  may  the  Poor  Goat 

eat? 

Paint  on  Water,  plow  the  Sky, 

Wash  the  Wind,  or,  thrice  as  blindly, 

Trust  a  Trifler,  trace  a  Lie, 
Treat  a  Selfish  Craven  kindly. 

Shoot  the  Tiger  through  and  through; 
Miss  him,  and  he  won't  miss  you. 

Smooth     Flatterers    have    done     much 
wrong 

For  which  the  World  is  paying. 
If  none  had  praised  the  Donkey's  Song 

He  would  not  still  be  braying. 

*'0^»"  ^^c  ^^^y  Laundress  cries, 
'"Twill  be  whiter  when  it  dries  I" 

A  Fool's  a  Fool  through  all  the  Years; 

No  art  can  teach  a  Hen  to  swim, 
And  cutting  down  a  Donkey's  ears 

Will  make  no  Arab  Steed  of  him. 


Betel  Nuts  U 

Beggars'  Gifts  are  better  things 
Than  the  Promises  of  Kings. 

I'll  walk  with  Fate,  and  thus  compel 

The  Jade  to  go  my  way; 
The  Jackal,  tumbling  down  the  Well, 

Said,  "Here  I'll  camp  to-day." 

XoiL  and  hoard  in  Sweat  and  Fear? 
Wealth  is  good, — but  much  too  dear! 

Xhe  Rope  is  burned:    Its  Twistings,  still. 

The  pallid  Ash  retains. 
The  Man  is  dead:    What  good  or  ill 

He  wrought  in  life,  remains. 

What's  in  the  Melon's  Heart,  the  Knife- 
blade  knows. 

What's  in  the  Soul,  the  Sword  of  Sorrow 
shows. 

Small  Ills  are  the  Fountains 
Of  most  of  our  Groans. 

Men  trip  not  on  Mountains, 
They  stumble  on  Stones. 


4^  Betel  NtUs 

pORBEARl     Remember  well 
There  are  no  Fans  in  Hell! 

QoD  gives  where  Gifts  are  vain, 

Nor,  giving,  tires. 
Man  grudging  gives  to  gain 

His  own  Desires. 

"My  Beard  is  burning!"  one  will  cry. 
Another  lights  his  Pipe  thereby. 

"My  Wisdom  aids  the  World!"— How 

sweet 
That    Secret    Thought    of    Great    and 

Small! 
The  Sea-gull  sleeps  with  Upturned  Feet 
To  catch  the  Sky  when  that  shall  fall. 

MAKING,   he   mars,    lilce   a   consummate 

Gaby, 
Rocking  the    Cradle   while   pinching   the 

Baby. 

The  wondrous  Ways  of  Love  are  known 

To  none  but  Love's  Adept; 
And  Tears  have  Language,  clear  alone 

To  him  whose  Eyes  have  wept. 


Betel  Nuts  43 

Beware  the  Foe  that  falleth  back! 
The  Goat's  Retreat  prepares  Attack. 

I  HURLED  the  Missile:     With  Edge  un- 
stained 
The  Shard  returned  to  its  Parent  Clay; 
The     Birds,     all     clamoring,     whirred 
away; 
The  Sin  of  Seeking  to  Kill  remained. 

"Why  didst  thow  spit  within  the  Sacred 

Bowl?" 
"I  thought  it  was  the  Altar,  on  my  Soul!" 

foil'  till  your  Blood  is  cold, 
Drudge  till  the  Grave  is  won; 

Man  is  the  Slave  of  Gold, 
Gold  is  the  Slave  of  None. 

Who  sells  Grain  Is  a  Merchant.     Heed 

ye,  then: 
Who  hoards  Grain  is  a  Murderer  of  Men. 

"O  Crocodile,  why  do  you  weep 
When  Gunga  in  Freshet  is  brown?" 

*'Alasl  that  the  River  is  deep! 

Alack!  for  the  People  will  drown!" 


U  Betel  Nuts 

Xhe  Crane  that  waited  for  the  Sea  to 

sink 
And    leave    Dried    Fish    to    feed    him, 

starved,  I  think. 

"O  Shiva  take  mel"  prayed  Ram  Chun- 
der. 
Above    him    crashed    and    rolled    the 
Thunder. 

"Not  now!"  he  wailed  in  Fright  and  Sor- 
row, 

"Not  now.  Great  Lord ! — I  mean  To-mor- 
row I" 

Danger    he    challenges,    laughing    and 

singing, 
Grasping    the    Tiger's    Moustaches    and 

swinging. 

XeRROR  lurks  along  the  Way, 

Horror  where  the  Moon  lies  white, 

Fear  upon  the  Hills  by  Day, 

Dread  behind  the  Door  at  Night. 

Xhe    Sword    is    Brother    to    the    Olive 

Wreath. 
Your  Saber  keeps  Another's  in  its  Sheath. 


Betel  Nuts 4-^ 

Xhe  Fool  met  Fate.    "Fair  Maiden,  say, 

Where  goest  thou?"  quoth  he. 
And  Fate  replied,  "Hold  on  thy  Way, 

0  Fool,— I  follow  thee!" 

A  Pampered  Prince  will  taste  the  Choice 

alone. 
'A  Starving  Dog  will  bolt  a  Saltless  Stone. 

Can  Love  devise 

That  Love  shall  not  be  seen? 
Nay,  Eyes  meet  Eyes, 

And  Love  slips  out  between. 

Xhe  Man  that  hath  a  Trade  must  work 

thereat. 
The  Barber,  lacking  Custom,  shaved  the 

Cat. 

y[Y  Golden  Cage  Is  hung  with  Silk, 

The  King  and  Queen  delight  in  me, 
My  Food  is  Fruit,  my  Drink  is  Milk, — 

1  want  my  Nest  and  Hollow  Tree  1 

Xwo  Sparrows  for  one  Rice-grain  made  a 

Riot. 
The  Cat  was  Arbitrator: — ^AU  is  quiet. 


J^Q  Betel  Nuts 

Xhe  Tiger  came!     She  slew  him 
And  dragged  him  from  the  House 

And  down  the  Drain  she  threw  him; — 
And  yet,  she  fears  a  Mouse  I 

Xhe  harsh-voiced  Raven  thinks  the  Owl 

can  sing. 
Among  the  Blind  the  One-eyed  Man  is 

King. 

Pearls  so  lustrous,  Youth  so  bold^ 

This  is  sure: 
Pearls  grow  Yellow,  Men  grow  Old — ■■ 

There's  no  Cure. 

A.N  Owl  will  lead  you  to  a  Cave, 
A  Sin  will  guide  you  to  a  Grave. 

^HEN  Toil  is  done,  the  Pipe  is  good, 
And  after  Bathing,  Sleep  and  Food; 
But  Smoking  brings  Delight  to  none 
In  Darkness,  Hunger,  Wind  or  Sun. 

Who    sports    with    Ruffians    earns    his 

Broken  Bones. 
What  Business  had  the  Eggs  to  dance  with 

Stones  ? 


Betel  Nuts  4,7 

My  Home  is  a  Shell 

With  an  Empty  Shelf  I 
Oh,  bring  me  a  Well 

And  I'll  drown  myself  I 

A.VOID  Suspicion:     When  you're  walking 

through 
Your  Neighbor's  Melon-patch,   don't  tie 

your  Shoe. 

Xhe  Scimitar  smites 

On  the  Shield  that  is  weak. 

The  Fish  has  no  Rights 
In  the  Cormorant's  Beak. 

A  Club  he  carries  on  his  Arm. 
His  Name  is  "Mr.  Do-No-Harm." 

If  You  suspect  him, 
Then  Reject  him. 
If  you  Select  him, 
Don't  Suspect  him. 

How  like  a  Drum  I  suffer  foul  Despite, 
In  Daytime  soundly  beat,  hung  up  at 
Night! 


If8  Betel  Nuts 

A  Demon,  bored  with  Single  Life, 
In  Lanka  wed  a  Monkey  Wife; 

And  thence  arose,  by  Heaven's  Grace 
Lai  Das  declares,  the  English  Race. 

When  God  sends  Rain,  the  Hoarders  of 

the  Corn 
And  they  alone,  bow  down  their  Heads 

and  mourn. 

Xhe  Merchant  takes  his  Evening  Meal 
And  sleeps  in  simple  hardihood; 

But,  though  his  Bolts  and  Bars  are  Steel, 
The  Door  itself  is  Flimsy  Wood. 

Snake-mouth,  Wasp-sting  and  Hill- 
man's  Dart 

Hold  no  such  Poison  as  a  Wanton's 
Heart. 

pouR  Eyes  to  spy  the  Faults  of  Men, 
Four  Ears  to  catch  all  Words  of  Spite, 

Two  Tongues  to  pay  them  back  again — 
You'll   need  at  least  Eight   Hands   to 
fight! 


Betel  Nuts  19 

Don't  die,  little  Ass,  for  a  week  or  so ! 
The  Spring  will  come,  the  Clover  will 
grow. 

She     quit    the     Fisherman,     descending 
lower 
To    wed    the    Ferryman,    that    hardy 
Rower ; 
But  still  the  Washerman's  unlucky  Daugh- 
ter, 
Howe'er  she  tried,  could  never  leave 
the  Water  1 


Should  Slanders  vex  the  Man  who  sees 
Clubs  cast  at  none  but  Fruitful  Trees? 

A  Treasure-keeper,  warned  to  let 
No  Treasure  tempt  me, — I  am  set 
Upon  a  Raft  where  Waves  arc  high 
And  told  to  keep  my  Garments  dry! 

Xhe  Frisky  Bullock  plows  the  Furrow 

through, 
Which  One-that-lieth-down  will  Hcvcr  do. 


50  Betel  Nuts 

J\ll  Slanders  find  an  End 
When  Lip  on  Lip  is  placed. 

If  Friend  but  speak  with  Friend, 
The  Liar  is  disgraced. 

No  Craft  is  beyond  him,  no  Meanness  be- 
neath; 

He'll  pick  up  a  Cent  from  the  Mud  with 
his  Teeth. 

j« 

Melons  want   the   Sun  to   warm   their 
Gold; 
Mangoes  want  the  Rain  to  make  them 
live; 
Women  want  Strong  Arms  to  take  and 
hold; 
Children, — all  the  Love  that  Heart  can 
give. 

pORTUNE  may  avail; 
Plowing  cannot  fail. 

He  Sings  for  those  that  have  no  Ear, 
He  Sports  for  those  that  cannot  See, 

He  Reads  for  those  that  cannot  hear, — < 
I  wonder  what  his  Pay  will  bel 


Betel  Nuts  61 

Appraise  the  Spring  before  you  drink  the 

Water; 
Observe   the   Mother   ere   you  Wed  the 

Daughter. 

Xhough  we  grasp,  In  Time  of  Trial, 
WIndle-straws  and  rotten  Sticks, 

Don't  we  know  the  Druggist's  Vial 
Is  the  Juggler's  Bag  of  Tricks? 


Xhe  Baby  Bird's  Heaven  is  roofed  with 

a  Feather. 
To    Feet   that   wear   Sandals   the  whole 

Earth  is  Leather. 


•'^Who  cooked  this  Rice?" 
'  "Not  I!— that  Worthless  Hound!" 
1  IS  very  nice. 
"Why — yes — I  stirred  it  round!" 


My  Baby  cries — and  All  the  World   is 

Wrong. 
My  Baby  laughs — the  World  is  full  of 

Song. 


53  Betel  Nuts 

Xhe  rankling  Wound  your  Anger  made 
That  easy,  careless  Laugh  may  heal 
When  Hurts,  yet  sore  from  Biting  Steel 

Are  cured  by  sportive  Flash  of  Blade. 


M^  menacing  Foes  are  too  many  to  count. 
I  ride  on  a  Tiger  and  dare  not  dis- 
mount. 

His  Head  is  rather  thick, 
But  he  isn't  quite  a  Fool. 
He  knew  the  Ox  might  kick, 
So  he  stood  behind  the  Mule. 


Be  Peaceful  yet  Prepared,  for  Harm  is 

quick. 
A  Sheep  will  bite  a  Man  without  a  Stick. 

Vain  Idlers,  think  1  (if  think  you  can 
That    waste    your    Days    in    Wanton 
Revel) ; 
The  Fiend  does  Wrong  to  tempt  the  Man, 
But   Man   does   Worse    to   tempt   the 
Devil. 


i 


Betel  Nuts  53 

Ben  Ali,  Ram  Chunder  and  Yussuf  are 

tall, 
But  the  Man  with  the  Club  is  the  Lord  of 

them  all. 

Shall  Lords  of  Treasure 

Stint  their  Dole? 
Don't  Weigh  and  Measure; 

Fill  my  Bowl ! 

A  Child  will  judge  the  Voice,  a  Woman 

reads 
The    Eyes    and    Lips;    a    Man    requires 

Deeds. 

Those  that  Say  and  Do,  are  Good,  we 
say; 
Those  that  Do  but  Say  not,  Great,  we 
call; 
Tell,  O  Fount  of  Virtue,  what  are  they 
That  while  Saying  much  Do  naught  at 
all? 

The  Ass  knows  Seven  Ways  to  Swim, — 

in  Stall. 
But,  seeing  Water,  clean  forgets  them  all! 


5^  Betel  Nuts 

I  SOUGHT  your  Door  in  Mercy's  Name 
And  met  Rebuffs  and  Scorns. 

The  Bee  unto  the  Rosebush  came, 
But  all  it  found  was  Thorns. 

I  haven't  even  Tears  to  cry, 
I  haven't  even  Time  to  die! 

If  the  Breakfast  is  bad  all  the  Day  will  go 

wrong 
(For  Hunger  enfeebles  the  Arm  of  the 

Strong). 
If  the  Marriage  is  bad  all  the  Life  will  go 

wrong 
(The  Tongue  is  a  Scourge  with  a  Barb  in 

the  Thong). 

Xhe  Fair  is  dull  as  a  Sermon's  End 
To  him  with  never  a  Coin  to  spend. 

Shrink  into  Hell's  Abodes, 

Or  leap  the  Sun, — 
Flight  hath  a  Thousand  Roads, 

My  Vengeance,  one ! 

J'm  like  a  Camel :    Nights  and  Morns 
I  carry  Sweets  but  feed  on  Thorns  1 


Betel  Nuts  55 

Xhe  Unbeliever  trusts  the  Eye; 

The    Ear    of    Faith    learns    wondrous 
things. 
Vou  never  saw  the  Prophet  fly, 

But    Priestly   Tongues    can    lend    him 
Wings. 

A  Queen  are  you  and  a  Queen  am  I, — 
But  who  will  spread  the  Clothes  to  dry? 

Death  is  the  Boding  Crow  that  wheels 
O'er  Homes  of  Low  and  Great. 

Death  is  the  Camel  Black  that  kneels 
Unhid,  at  every  Gate. 


Quoth  Mittan  the  Miser  when  mellow 
with  Wine, 
"Save    Cupboard   and   Wardrobe,    the 
Whole  House  is  thine  I" 

The  Wells  are  dry;  the  Cattle  die 

Amid  the  shriveled  Grain. 
Above,  the  Crown  of  the  Head  is  burnt; 
Below,  the  Sole  of  the  Foot  is  burnt; 

O  Great  God,  let  it  rain  I 


56  Betel  NiUs 

j^ERCY  to  the  Tiger  is  a  Sham. 
Call  it,  "Being  cruel  to  the  LamW* 

Sugar  is  crisp  as  Sand, 

Sugar  is  white  as  Fleece, 
Sugar  is  sweet  and  bland, — 

But  not  so  sweet  as  Peace. 

J^  Shower  of  Honey  on  a  Sugar  Shed 
Is  shamed  by  Speech  of  Lovers  newly 
wed. 

\yHEN  Life  is  Woe 

And  Hope  is  dumb, 
The  World  says,  "Gol" 

The  Grave  says,  "Cornel" 

Where  Ships  have  steered,  the  Caravan 

may  trail; 
Where  winds  the  Caravan,  the  Ship  may 

sail. 

/^  Thousand  Times  I  dived,  yet  found 
No  Pearl.    The  Fault  was  not 

With  Me,  nor  Thee,  nor  yet  the  Sea; — 
But  my  Unhappy  Lot. 


Betel  Nuts  57 

Smile  at  Wrongs  thou  canst  not  right, 
Kiss  the  Hand  thou  darest  not  bite. 

**0   Allah,"    prays   the   Cat   is   hungry 

Zeal, 
*'Send  Blindness  on  my  Lord,  that  I  may 

steal!" 
'•O  Allah,"  prays  the  Dog,  "endow  with 

Meat 
My  Lord,  who,  being  filled,  shall  bid  me 

eatl" 

"^/"ho  gives  a  Man  a  Child  to  nurse 
Or  trusts  a  Woman  with  a  Purse? 


Lal  Mir's  Cat  is  grown  too  fat 
To  hunt  her  Prey  and  snatch  it. 

A  Mouse  she  saw  and  waved  her  Paw 
To  bid  her  Master  catch  it. 

Why  ask  my  Answer,  strong-armed  Un- 
believer? 

What  Answer  can  the  Mutton  give  the 
Cleaver? 


58  Betel  Nuts 

Xhough  called,  when  up  and  earning, 
Thy  Sweetheart's  Darling  One, 

In  Want  and  Fever's  Burning 
Thou  art  thy  Mother's  Son. 

QOD  that  makes  the  Egg  to  Live, 
Shall  Man  ask  and  Thou  not  give? 

Chose:     Peace  or  Death  1     What  good 
is  Life 

In  Hate  and  Fear? 
Let  One,  or  Both,  or  else  our  Strife 

Be  buried  here! 

QoD  gives  each  Bird  the  Food  that  suits 

it  best, 
But  never  hangs  the  Food  above  the  Nest. 

I  STONED  the  Mango  Tree 
And  sweet  Fruit   fell. 

My  Foe  misuseth  me? 
I'll  use  him  well. 

Head-downward   hangs   the   Bat   with 

Lips  upcurled, 
And    sneers,    *'How   Topsy-turvy   is    the 

World!" 


Betel  Nutg  69 

Xhe    Teeth    are    Thirty-two    in    sharp 
Array; 
The  Tongue  is  lone  and  weak,  and  yet 
among 
The  Silent  Teeth  it  dwells,  and  Talks  all 
Day, 
Yet  takes  no  Harml     How  Clever  is 
the  Tongue  1 

J* 

She  scolds  at  the  Thunder,  she  scowls  at 

the  Light, 
She  spits  on  the  Thorn-bush  and  dares  it 

to  fight. 

Jn  evil  Days 

Draw  good  from  every  Harm. 
Your  Home's  ablaze? 

The  Flames  will  keep  you  warm. 

"He  has  killed  a  Thousand  Men!" 
"Ah?  he's  Half  a  Doctor,  then." 

Above    the    Lintel    wrote    the    laggard 

Guest, 
"An  Uncle's  Dwelling  is  a  Place  of  Rest." 


60  Betel  Nuts 

His  Cousin  scrawled  beneath  that  Fervent 

Phrase, 
"If    One    remain    not   more   than    Seven 

Days." 

Are  we  Babes  for  Threats  to  fright? 
"Mother's  Bear"  will  never  bite. 

Xhe  drumming  Rain  with  Crystal  Spears 
Assails  the  Mold.    Our  Ai:res  thrive 

And  Famine's  Footprint  disappears 
And  Five  becomes  as  Thirty-five. 

A  WORD  informs  the  Wise  at  once. 
A  Hundred  Lashes  teach  the  Dunce. 

pORM  hath  one  Beauty;  Dress,  the  Pundits 
hold, 
Hath  Beauties  fifty  score; 
Ten  thousand  Beauties  glow  in  Gems  and 
Gold; 
In  Love,  ten  million  more. 

To  all  their  own  Repasts: 

The  Swan  cats  Pearls  or  fasts. 


Betel  Nuts  61 

Xhe  Donkey  turns  a  hungry  Eye 

Upon  the  Fields  all  bare  and  dry; 
Then  waxes  fat,  the  Happy  Ass, 
To  think  he's  eaten  all  that  Grass  I 

You'll  trace  a  Lie's  Beginning 
When  Sinners  own  to  Sinning. 

Xhe  Food  was  the  Bee's, 

But  by  Man  it  is  eaten. 
The  Sin  was  the  Flea's, 

But  the  Bedding  is  beaten. 

O  Crafty  Bee,  which  dost  thou  bring 
To  me — ^the  Honey  or  the  Sting? 

Have  Flowers  less  of  Fragrance  when 
they  bloom  where  none  may  mark? 
Are   Rubies   dull   and  worthless  when 
they  lie  on  Mountains  lone? 
Is  Honey  harsh  and  bitter  when  'tis  eaten 
in  the  Dark? 
Is  Love  the  less  delightful  when  to  all 
the  World  unknown? 


g^  Betel  Nuts 

Xhe  Swindler  has  no  Time  to  smoke  a 

Pipe. 
Who  finds  a  Crow  asleep  when  Figs  are 

ripe? 

We're  stripped  as  bare  as  a  Bonel 
The  Thief  and  his  Stick  were  Two; 

My  Brother  and  I  were  all  alone, 
So,  pray,  what  could  we  do? 


Within  the  Temple  thrives  the  Scamp. 
'Tis  Darkest  underneath  the  Lamp. 


Xhe    Jackals    show    their    Teeth,    the 

Monkeys  chatter, 
The    angry    Sparrows    bluster — does    it 

matter? 
The  Dogs  may  tear  his  red  Caparison, 
But,  undisturbed,  the  Elephant  goes  on. 


I'VE  found  my  Knife,  but  where  are  you, 

O  Hound! 
tWhen  I  find  you,  my  Knife  can  not  be 

found  1 


i 


Betel  Nuts  63 

The  Elephant  is  guided  by  the  Goad; 
A   Club  will  keep  the   Bullock  to  the 

Road; 
The    Bit    and    Rein    subdue    the    restive 

Horse, 
And    naught    controls    a    Simpleton    but 

Force. 

Xhough  gentlest  Hands  re-knit  the  silken 

Chain 
Of   Severed   Friendship,    still   the   Knots 

remain. 

Xhe  Hope  of  Home  will  make 

A  Cripple  sound. 
Nor  Head  nor  Feet  will  ache 

When  Homeward  bound. 

Xhe  Rains  have  come!    The  Rice-blades 

spring  1 
The  Farmer  cares  not  who  is  King  I 

My  Wrath   is   more   than  Tongue   can 
utter  I 
The  Cat  beneath  my  Hand  shall  quail  I 
'Twas  not  enough  to  steal  the  Butter — 
She  yawned  and  sniffed  and  shook  her 
Tail  I 


64  Betel  Nuts 

\yE   measure    Towers   by   the    Shadows 

thrown, 
And   Great   Men   by  the   Slanders   idly 

blown. 

A  LAUGH  is  due 

When  Fate's  grim  Jests  are  hurled. 
What's  Death  to  you 

Is  Fun  for  all  the  World. 
jft 
She's  vain  and  saucy,  proud  and  idle, — ■ 

An  Old  Mare  with  a  New  Red  Bridle. 

Xhe  eager  Fish 

Repent  within  the  Net. 
lYoung  Lovers  wish, 

And  Married  Men  regret. 

Death  took  him  off 
But  cured  his  Cough. 

Lost  and  Gone,  like  the  Fame  of  Kings^ 
Like  a  Woman's  Faith,  like  the  Horse's 

Wings, 
Like  the  Morning  Mist,  like  the  Evening 

Red, 
Like  the  Horns  that  grew  on  the  Donkey's 

Headl 


Betel  Nuts  65 

His  Sympathy  is  cold;  beneath 

The  Weeping  Eyes  are  Laughing  Teeth. 

Xhe  Water-lily  spreads  her  Petals  white; 

The     Moon,     twice     forty     thousand 

Leagues  above, 

Upon  her  pours  a  Flood  of  tender  Light. 

Oh,  Time  and  Space  are  naught  to  them 

that  love  I 

Whose  Hands  are  clever,  labors  all  his 

Days; 
Whose    Tongue    is    clever,    speaks — the 
World  obeys. 
.>« 
My  Hair  hung  low,  a  glossy  Braid, 
Your    Beard    was    Down    upon    your 
Chin; 
Our  Love,  the  Love  of  Youth  and  Maid 
To  which  all  other  Love  is  Sin! 

Xhe  Roots  of  Strife  are  Four,  all  told: 
A  Woman,  Cattle,  Land  and  Gold. 

Love  must  love  though  Love  must  rue: 
Who  the  Flame  of  Love  may  smother! 

I  am  dying.  Love,  for  you ; 
lYou  are  dying  for  Another! 


Betel  Nuts 


\yHEN  Feasts  are  spread  the  Doctor  rolls 

his  Pills. 
In  Fifty  Dishes  lie  a  Hundred  Ills. 

Js^O  more  he  dances,  feasts  and  sings; 
The  Married  Man  is  bound  to  Toil; 
His  Mind  is  full  of  Sterner  Things, 
And  those  are  Food  and  Wood  and  Oil. 
<^ 
What's  that?  You  "Saw"?— I  won't  be- 
lieve a  Word 
Of  what  you  "Saw!"— I'll  tell  you  what  I 
Heard  1 

Xhe     Day     he     came     we     called     him 
"Friend"; 
The     Second     Day     we     styled     him 
"Guest" ; 
The  Third,  "Our  Caller" ;  at  the  End 
Of  Seven  Weary  Days,  "A  Pest!" 

pORBEAR  to  kill  him,  for  the  Sake 
Of  all  the  Widows  thou  wouldst  make. 

]S/[y  Love  departs  with  Dawning  Light, 
Mine  Eyes  are  dark  with  Sorrow. 

I  pray  thee.  Lord,  make  such  a  Night 
That  there  shall  be  no  Morrow! 


M 


Betel  Nuts  67 

JJe's   like   the   Golden   Knife;   unfit    for 
Play 
Or  any  Use,  too  good  to  throw  away. 

Xhe  Butter  that  the   Farmer  sold  was 
bad; 
The   Merchant's  Weights  were  false; 
so,  haggling  there. 
Each  deemed  himself  a  Cheat;  but,  oh. 
how  sad! 
The  Bargain  that  they  made  was  just 
and  fair. 

Xhe  Judge,  beset  with  Lies,  must  try  to 

tell 
What  Plaintiff  and  Defendant  know  too 

well. 

Xhe  Farmer  prays  for  Rain, 
The  Washerman  for  Sun. 

If  Prayers  were  not  in  vain, 
The  World  would  be  undone. 


A  GARDEN  Wall  is  easy  leaping. 

The    Blind    Man's   Wife   is   in   God's 
Keeping. 


i 


68  Betel  NuU 

Xo  all  the  World  thy  Bosom's  Joy  dis- 
close, 
That   Men  shall  honor  thee  and  call 
thee  Great; 
But   let   thine    own    Roof   cover   all   thy 
Woes — 
Tie  not   thy  Troubles  to   the   Village 
Gatel 

My  own  good  Son  Is  a  Son  indeed  1 
My    neighbor's    Son    is    a    Worthless 
Weed. 

Xhey  find  Life  sweet 

That  Earn  and  Eat; 
And  they  will  Earn 

That  Lose  and  Learn. 

at 

pAiR  is  the  Hope  of  a  Distant  Day; 
Blue  are  the  Hills  that  are  far  away. 

Xhese  Letters  Black  are  Seeds,  the  which 
my  Pen 
In     Snow     white     Furrows     diligently 
sows; 


Betel  Nuts  69 

The   Harvest   shall   be    reaped  by   other 
Men, 
But  what  shall  be  that  Harvest,  Heaven 
knows. 

Obtrusive  Cleanliness  Is  out  of  Place: 
The     Fussy     Housewife     washed     the 
Tiger's  Face. 


Xhe  Donkey  to  the  Camel  said, 
"How  dainty  are  your  Feetl" 

The  Camel  to  the  Donkey  said, 
'^Your  Voice  is  wondrous  sweet!" 


Strangers  serve  the  Swindler's  Ends; 
Merchants,  only,  cheat  their  Friends. 


Xhe  Promise  may  be  broken 
That's  made  when  Youth  is  new, 

But  not  the  Promise  spoken 
'Twixt  Thirty-Teeth-and-Two. 


Who  goes  to  Law  cries  out,  "Alack! 
Come  Poverty,  sit  on  my  Back!" 


70  Betel  Nuts 

QOOD  Madam  Cat,  youVe  bitten  off  my 
Tail; 
Now  let  me  go,  to  scamper  through  the 
House 
And  rummage  every  Shelf  with  Tooth  and 
Nail, 
For  Life  is  sweet,   e'en  to  a  Tailless 
Mouse. 

Xhe  Jar  of  Wine  for  the  Rich  Man's 

Hall. 
The  Wayside  Spring  is  the  Friend  of  All. 


Six  Years  thy  Son  is  all  his  Mother's  own 

To  love  and  tend; 
Twelve  more  he  is  thy  Care — and  then 
alone 

Becomes  thy  Friend. 


^ 


Look  to  thy  Letters,  Arms  and  Horse's 

Girth 
Thyself,  though  served  by  all  the  Slaves 

on  Earth. 


Betel  Nuts  71 

In  August  Drouth  the  Jackal  Whelp  was 
born ; 
September  poured  his  Waters  down  the 
Plains; 
Then  cried  the  Cub  in  Wonder,  "I'll  be 
sworn, 
In  All  My  Life  I've  never  seen  such 
Rains!" 

Rust  cracks  the  Empty  Pan, 
Sloth  breaks  the  Husbandman. 

Should  Fate  assail, 

What  use  to  guard  or  plan? 

A  Serpent's  Tail 

Will  bite  a  Luckless  Man. 

Xrade,  join  hands  or  strive  alone  with 
those 
That  are  proved  your  Equals — Friends 
or  Foes. 

.^ 

Stand,  or  rest  at  your  ease; 

Sit,  or  lie  on  the  floor; 
Come  and  go  as  you  please, 

But  Do  not  Bang  the  Door! 


7^  Betel  Nuts 

He  plies  his  Trade;  still,  is  it  not  a  sin 
To  waste  a  Beam  to  make  a  Rolling- 
pin? 

He  hoots  with  the  owls, 
With  the  Horses  he  neighs, 

With  the  Jackals  he  yowls, 
With  the  Donkeys  he  brays. 

Xhk  Court's  Decree  is  Justice,  clean  and 

fair. 
And  Luck?    Why,  Luck  is  what  the  Dice 

declare. 

I  GO,  and  leave  your  Mirth, 

I  pass,  and  leave  your  Care; 
My  earth  shall  mix  with  Earth, 

My  breath  shall  mix  with  Air. 
IVe  done  with  Wealth  and  Dearth, 

I'm  one  with  Time  and  Space. 
Unclose,  O  Mother  Earth, 

And  give  your  Son  a  place  I 

My  lord,  when  called  "My  Lordl''  will 

duly  come. 
'Tis  thus  I  keep  "my  lord"  beneath  my 

thumb. 


Betel  Nuts  73 

y\LL  Noble  Thought  will  surely  reach  the 
skies 

From  any  lands. 
Unworthy  Prayer  is  merely  closing  eyes 

And  folding  hands. 

'\r  Men  of  Deeds  are  jealous  slanders 

thrown, 
As    Stones    are    cast    at    Fruitful    Trees 

alone. 

Qlass  Bracelets  at  a  Farthing  each  arc 
sold; 
But  when  on  arms  without  a  fleck 
They  clasp,  in  love,  a  Husband's  neck 
Their  worth  is  Many  Thousand  Pounds 
of  Gold. 

j( 

Four  things  in  Stubbornness  all  else  sur- 
pass: 
A  Child,  a  King,  a  Woman  and  an  Ass. 

You  call  my  tale  "Romance," 
And  still  the  thing  may  be. 

The  Jungle  Peacocks  dance, 
Though  none  is  there  to  see. 


7^  Betel  Nuts 

Xhe  Soul  of  the  Sluggard  revives  in  the 

Slow-worm; 
The  Torchbearer  dies  and  is  turned  to  a 

Glow-worm. 

Parched  Peas  are  proud,  and  rightfully, 
they  think; 
The  noise  of  grinding  them  is  heard  so 
far, 
And  he  that  eats  of  them  is  forced  to 
drink 
A  Hundred  Gulps  of  Water  from  the 


jar! 


^ 


]Broken  Friendship's  Friendship  ended; 
Shattered  Pearls  may  not  be  mended. 


jt 


^Y  diverse  Yearnings  torn  and  tried. 
Poor  Men  grow  ever  thinner: 

The  Bridegroom  longs  to  see  the  Bride, 
The  Guests  to  see  the  Dinner. 


^ 


poOD  saves  and  Food  destroys  our  Mortal 

Brood; 
No  Friend  nor  Enemy  is  there  like  Food. 


J 


Betel  Nuts  75 

Xo  gather  Wealth,  his  grasping  Hands 
are  Two; 
One  niggard  Hand  he  has  to  give  or 
spend. 
An  Open  Palm  he  shows  the  Well-to-do, 
A    Knotted    Fist    he    shows    a    Needy 
Friend. 

'Qy  Fear  are  forms  of  Demons  wrought, 
And    Phantoms     are     the     Brood     of 
Thought. 

Xhe  Farms  are  rife 

With  living  Wealth  of  Spring; 
The  Plowman's  Wife 

Shall  have  a  Golden  Ring. 

Xhe  Elephant's  Bulk  Is  amazing  to  see. 
'Tap I    Yap!"    says    the    Cur,    "he    is 
frightened  of  Mel" 

Confess  thy  Wrongful  Deed  this  day 

And  leave  contented 
The  Injured  One — else  do  not  say, 

*'I  have  repented  1" 


76  Betel  Nuts 

Don't  idle.     Have  you  naught  to  do? 

Well,  then, 
Unstitch  your  Clothes  and  sew  them  up 

again. 

jn 

\yHO  loves  by  lower  Laws, 

His  Love  is  naught; 
I  love  my  Love,  because 

I  love  her  Thought. 


Who  hath  not  found  his  God  nor  yet  his 

Love 
Hath  lost  this  World  Below  with  That 

Above. 


Jn  lairs  of  Monkeys 

Follies  heap; 
Where  gather  Donkeys 

Kicks  are  cheap. 


Remember,  Guest,  in  Delhi,  Greece  or 

Rome, 
The  Grandson  is  the  Lord  of  every  Home. 


Betel  Nuts  7^ 

JS^  PRAYER  for  Work  his  Tongue  has  pat, 

But  never  mind  it; 
For  still  his  Heart  Iceeps  praying  that 

He  may  not  find  it. 

"Yes,"   says  the   Man;  "Yes,"   says  the 

Woman,  too; 
And  what  can  Judge,  or  Priest,  or  Sultan 

do? 

He  will  not  answer?    Wait;  he  will. 

His  Head  is  stubborn,  yet  I  know 
The  Tent-peg's  Head,  though  harder  still. 

Must  answer  to  the  Hammer's  Blow. 

Xhe  Law  I  do  not  fear; 
My  Son's  Policeman  here. 

Xhe  Curse  of  Money  doubles 
The  Woes  of  Rich  and  Poor; 

A  Penny  buyeth  Troubles 
That  Dollars  cannot  cure. 

Xhough  through  his  Flesh  and  Bone  the 

Arrow  bit. 
He  prayed,  "God  send  it  prove  I  be  not 

hit!" 


78  Betel  NuU 

A    MAN    may    greet    his    Friends    with 
honeyed  Tongue, 
And  yet  in  Trade  be  hard  and  cold  as 
Ice. 
The  Cat  has  Gentle  Teeth  to  hold  her 
Young, 
But  very  Different  Teeth  for  catching 
Mice. 

J-Je  roams  like  a  Dog  from  the  East  to 

the  West 
With  Nothing  to  Do  and  no  Leisure  to 

Rest. 

Shine,  Firefly, 

Through  leafy  bars, 
But  do  not  vie 

With  Heaven's  Stars  I 

As  faithful  as  the  Knee-joint  to  its  Socket, 
The     Lawyer's     Hand    keeps    in    his 
Client's  Pocket. 

Xhey  that  challenge  Danger,  bring 
On  themselves  disastrous  Force: 

Do  not  stand  Before  the  King, 
Do  not  stand  Behind  the  Horse. 


Betel  Nuts  79 

\t  is  the  Soldier's  Blood  and  Grief 
That  makes  the  Glory  of  the  Chief. 

yHE  Turtle  lays  upon  the  Sand 

A  Thousand  Eggs,  unknown  to  Fame. 

The  Hen  lays  One — but  all  the  Land 
Is  ringing  with  that  Deed's  acclaim. 

Both  of  us  are  Lords  of  Men — 

But  who  will  drive  the  Asses,  then? 

fjE  sighs  in  the  wet. 

Growing  thinner  and  thinner, 

"If  I  had  a  Net 
The  Fish  would  be  Dinner." 

/^  Raid  of  Elephants  Is  better  than 
A  Visit  of  a  Rajah  with  his  Clan. 

PJe's  bound  to  go 
Wherever  she  goes — ' 

A  Buffalo 

With  a  Ring  in  his  Nose  I 

Xhe  Camel  learns  to  bear  the  Load, 
The  Elephant  to  bear  the  Goad. 


80  Betel  Nuts 

The;  Mouse's  Chance  is  Garnered  Rice; 

The  Pigeon's  Chance  is  Scattered  Peas; 
The  Monkey's  Chance  is  Mounds  of  Spice; 

The  Shark's — ^the  WrecksF  of  Stormy 
Seas. 


Xhe  Ants  die  thick  around  the  Sugar- 
measure, 

And  Men  are  ruined  in  Pursuit  of 
Pleasure. 


Xhe  Hornbill  hovered  there; 

The  Palm  snapped  like  a  reed; 
So  Witnesses  will  swear, 

"The  Hornbill  did  the  Deedl" 


Xhough  strong  are  Dagger,  Sword  and 

Musket-ball,. 
The  Cooking  Pot  is  Mightiest  of  All. 

fjE  wags  a  righteous  Tongue, 
Whate'er  his  Acts  may  be. 

The  Crab  instructs  its  Young, 

"Walk  straight  ahead — like  mel" 


Betel  Nuts  81 

Where  deep  and  smooth  the  Stream  be- 
guiles, 
Beware  I  look  out  for  Crocodiles  I 


He'll  game  if  Fortune  stays  or  flies; 

A  Gambler  to  the  core. 
He  loses — then,  "Revenge!"  he  cries; 

He  wins — and  must  have  more. 

A  MONEY-DEBT   with  Gold  may  be   de- 
frayed; 
A  Debt  of  Gratitude  can  not  be  paid. 

Xhe  Thief  repents,  and  yet 
The  Law  remains  severe. 

The  Deer  forgets  the  Net, 
But  not  the  Net,  the  Deer. 

The  Curs  are  barking,  one  and  all. 
But  that  won't  make  the  Mountain  fall. 

Better  to  die  for  a  Thing  Worth  While 
Than  to  perish  of  Sighs  and  Wishes. 

Better  be  snapped  by  a  Crocodile 
Than  be  nibbled  to  death  by  Fishes. 


8S  Betel  Nuts 

/Although  the  Cow  may  not  be  vicious, 
Her  long,   sharp   Horns   make    Folks 
suspicious. 

A  MAN  too  poor  to  buy  or  sell, 

Of  Treasurers  will  prove  the  worst. 

Shall  he  that's  set  to  guard  the  Well 
Permit  himself  to  die  of  Thirst? 

"Who  dares  not  hoist  the  sail  till  all  agree 
That  Danger's  dead,  will  never  put  to 
Sea. 

Xhe  Bitter  Gourd  I  planted  where  Sago 
Heaps  had  lain, 
With     Treacle-drops     and     Honey     I 
drenched  the  Little  Hill; 
I  trained  the  Leafy  Tendrils  on  rods  of 
Sugar  Cane; 
But  when  the  Fruit  had  ripened,  alasl 
'twas  Bitter  still ! 

Not  a  Penny  to  her  name — ■ 
Runs  to  Market  just  the  same.. 


i 


Betel  Nuts  83 

pARMiNG  bears  the  bell  away; 

Trade  comes  next,  the  Wise  Men  say; 
Service  is  a  sorry  lot; 
Beggary  is  worst,  God  wot! 

Xhe  Yellow  Dog  that  comes  well  recom- 
mended 
Will  be  a  Lion  ere  the  Game  is  ended. 

piVE  Eggs  was  all  the  Rajah  taxed  the 

Village; 
His  Soldiers  took  a  Thousand  Fowls  in 

pillage. 

\yHEN  Clover  blooms,  and  all  the  Hive 

is  singing, 
The  Honey  Bee  has  little  time  for  Stinging. 

What  Culprit  fails  to  urge  the  Plea 
That  there  are  Others  Worse  than  He? 

Man   need  not  prey   on   Man   to   keep 

alive; 
Not  all  the  Birds  are  Hawks,  and  yet  they 

thrive. 


8i  Betel  Nuts 

A  Patch  of  Silk  on  what  you  wear 
Calls  most  Attention  to  the  Tear. 


How  many  Doors  to  Fame  are  shut 
By  those  Bad  Fairies,  "If"  and  "But"! 

J'll  make  it  Rain  as  soon  as  Men 
Will  all  agree  and  tell  me  when. 


A  Slip  of  the  Foot  is  a  trivial  thing; 
A  Slip  of  the  Tongue  may  ruin  the  King. 

Brother  helps  Brother; 
Friends  die  for  each  other. 

Plant  the  Tree  with  Care  and  train  it 

straight; 
Perhaps  'twill  be  a  Pillar  of  the  State. 

Xhe  Peacock  struts;  his  Grace  may  please 

the  Peacock, 
But    who    else    in    the    Jungle    sees    the 

the  Peacock? 


Betel  Nuts  85 

Both  of  us  are  Men  of  Might. 
Wherefore  Quarrel?     Let  us  fight! 

Xhe  Shaggy  White  Dog  will  be  sure  to 

catch  Cold 
If  he  runs  to  the  Market  where  Cotton  is 

sold. 

The  Double-meaning  Word  of  Craft 
Is  still  the  Traitor's  Shield  and  Shaft. 

Xhe  Open  Hands  of  Charity  a-e  fair 
And   holy    as    the    Folded    Hands    of 
Prayer. 

Xhe  Crab  explains,  "My  Crooked  Walk, 

in  truth, 
Is    just    the    Harmless    Playfulness    of 

Youth." 

\Yhatever    your    Troubles,     whatever 
your  Woes, 
Tobacco  and  Coffee  are  Perfect  Repose. 

Jf  Prayers  of  Dogs  were  heard  at  all, 
What  Showers  of  Bones  from  Heaven 
would  fall ! 


86  Betel  Nuts 

"Who  quarrels  with  the  Well,  should  first 
Make  sure  he  will  not  Die  of  Thirst. 

Qh,  Rash  One !    Expect  you  from  Death 
to  awake 
By   saying,    ''Excuse   me!      I    died   by 
Mistake"? 

WT'ho  brags  about  his  Great  Forbears 
Would  steal  the  Praise  that  should  be 
theirs. 

Xender  is  Earth  and  the  humblest  of 

things, 
Kissing    the    Feet    of    her    Beggars    and 

Kings. 


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L^>JJ 


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